Book cover and method of making the same



Jan. 18, 1944. R J, ROBERTS v 2,339,586

BOOK COVER AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed July 28, 1941 J0 11 /6f 2 40 I INVENTOR.

" I, Mrrzarzd (Zfifierfi Patented Jan. 18, 1944 BOOK COVER AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME

Richmond J. Roberts, Dubuque, Iowa, assignor to Farley & Loetscher Manufacturing Company, Dubuque, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application July 28, 1941, Serial No. 404,372

15 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in book covers and methods of making book covers and more particularly to a method of fabricating book covers and similar articles of fibrous sheet materials impregnated with a'resinous substance.

The object of the invention is to introduce into the book-binding and kindred arts the advantageous characteristics of the many synthetic resinous substances commonly termed "plastics and recognized for their superior durability and marked resistance to the destructive efiects of water, grease and acids.

As an example of the merits of the invention, the manufacture of book covers is typical. As

well known, a book cover consists of two rela tively thick cover sections connected by a thinner flexible back section, and while these dimensional variations are of no moment in the ordinary method of book binding, they do present a problem when resin treated materials are used, because they have to be assembled in flat sheet form and then subjected to heat and pressure. Accordingly, the object of the "invention is to' provide a method which will meet the problems peculiar to the processing of resin impregnated materials, and the essential features of this process or method of manufacture are disclosedin the accompanying drawing in which: V

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a book bound in a cover made in accordance with the. process Figure 5 is a view in cross-section through thecover after the pressing operation,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 with the core removed and the cover ready for use, and Figure l is a view in cross-section through a modified arrangement, wherein the back section of the coveris reinforced exteriorly by a strip of exceptionally durable material.

As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, the appearance and general construction of the book differs but slightly from that of any ordinary book. In fact, the only difierence is in the physical properties of the cover I per se. Thus the cover consists of the usual front and rearv cover sections, l t and a back section I, the

cover sections being relatively stiff and thick, whereas the back section is thin and quite flexible, not only to conform to the rounded contour at the back of the contents 2, but to allow the cover sections to flex freely when the book is opened and closed. However, extreme stiffness need not'be an essential characteristic of the cover sections, for they may have different degrees of flexibility, depending on the type or style of book being bound. 'In any case, the cover is made up as a unit and the contents or mass of printed page 2 is subsequently inserted and enclosed in the cover in accordance with the usual practice.

Now, as shown in Figure 3, the cover is made up of laminations, that is, of several plies of resin impregnated sheets of paper or other suitable fibrous materials pressed together in the form of a flat panel. Heavy kraft and other ,types of absorbent paper impregnated with any one of several synthetic resins, falling generally within the category of plasticsbut in a liquid or varnish form would preferably be used for book covers and the like. And in this connection, the so-called plastics or synthetic resins are too nu.-

merous to list by name and hence they will be identified herein as either thermo-plastic or thermo-setting resins depending on the particular type best suited for a particular use. Thus,

' for example, the outer cover sheet'3 would preferably be a sheet of heavy absorbent paper impregnated with a thermo-setting resin of say the urea-formaldehyde type and thence plasticized or made flexible by the addition of an alkyd resin. The cover sheet 3 extends throughout the entire area or the cover and it i for this reason that a somewhat greater degree of flexibility is essential. Moreover, the cover sheet 3 would be vide a backing or reinforcement throughout the;

back section of the cover. However, the backing strip 4 may not always be necessary, and can be omitted.

symmetrically located beneath the cover sheet are the superimposed sheets orla'minations that make up the body of the cover sections. These consist of two stacks 5, 5 of, say, fiv or six thicknesses of kraft paper impregnatedwith a suitable synthetic resin and then allowed to dry. The stacks are rectangular in shape and of a size somewhat less than one half the area of the cover, so that when each is placed symmetrically beneath the cover sheet, a space of an inch or more separates their inner parallel edge depending on the thickness of the book to be bound.

And finally, in the bottom of each stack 5 is preferably applied an inner cover sheet '6, which may be a plain sheet of paper of a solid color or may be of the same material as the outer cover sheet 3. In any case, strips 7, l of muslin or a like fabric are inserted along the innermost edges of the stack 5, 5 and preferably between the bottom plies and the inner cover sheets 3. 5, as shown in Figur 4. These strips 1, i have the greater portion of their width projecting into space separating the cover section and these free marginal portions are later used for anchoring the contents 2 to the cover.

With the materials for the cover assembled as herein described, it is now ready to be processed by compression under heat in a press of the type now extensively in use in the fabrication of articles impregnated with synthetic resins. These presses are ordinarily equipped with heated platens with flat surfaces and since the heat and pressure must be applied uniformly throughout the entire area of the "cover it is necessary to provide a removable core 8 to be inserted into the open space formed by the flexible back section and located between the inner edges of the body members 5, 5 of the cover sections. This cor is preformed to exactly the dimensions of the space after the cover has been finished and hence would be somewhat thinner than the assembled materials prior to the pressing operation as shown in Figure 4. The core 8 may be a strip made of resin impregnated laminations or may be a solid strip of wood or other solid material. In any case, a core 8 is inserted into each cover preparatory to the compressing operation and preferably as the final step in the assembly of the laminations, and with the free marginal portions of the binding strips 1, l underlying the core, as shown in Figure 5. V

Now, upon completion'of the pressing operation, the several sheets or laminations become unified as a more or less solid homogeneous panel, due to the fusingand subsequent hardening of the resins. Then again there is some reduction in the thickness .of the materials, as revealed in Figure 6, and the presence of the core 8 permits the pressure and 'heat to be applied uniformly throughout the entire area of the cover.

Manifestly, upon the completion of the pressing and curing operation the core is removed and the finished cover in its flattened form in Fig ure 6' is now ready to receive its contents with the thinner flexible back section I bent to'conform to the rounded back of the contents 2 and the cover sections I! having the usual hinged connection with the back section. Otherwise the cover and its contents are united in accordance with the standard practice of the bookbinding art, with the free marginal portion of the strips 1, 1 serving as ing members.

A practical and somewhat obvious modification of the cover construction is shown in Figure 7, wherein the cover materials are assembled subthe immediate connectstantially as hereinbefore described, except that the cover sections H1, I0 are separate piecesIor units, thence joined or united by a separate piece of flexible material I I, to complete the cover and to form the back section thereof. Accordingly, the cover sections In and ill are of the laminated construction with outer and inner cover sheets, but instead of a single sheet forming the outer cover of both cover sections as well as the back section, a strip of durabl fabric such a buckram or the like, connects the two with the marginal portions of the strip overlapping the adjacent edges of the cover sections on their outer faces as clearly shown in Figure '7.

This arrangement obviously permits the use of the more durable and expensive materials throughout the back section and hinged portions, where the wear is the hardest, with the less expensive materials bcing used elsewhere.

A book cover thus constructed has the advantage over the ordinary book cover in that it has exceptional durability and wear resistance, aside from being practically proof against soil, moisture, grease and other disfiguring substances.

Such covers would therefore be especially desirable in the binding of text, reference and all other books that are subjected to hard wear and usage. Moreover, covers made in accordance with the present disclosure would be capable of use in kindred lines of manufacture such as for example, certain types of luggage, containers with hinged lids and the like.

Hence, in disclosing the improved method for making book covers, it is to be understood that the making of other articles by the same method is also contemplated, that is to say, laminated articles impregnated or treated with thermosetting or thermo-plastic resins, and subjected to heat and pressure while in the form of a flat sheet, and yet having portions of different thickness as well as of varying degrees of flexibility as is the case particularly in a book cover.

Having set forth in full the method of making book covers of a plastic nature, but without confining the process to any particular article, I claim as my'in'vention:

1. A method of making book covers and the like of fibrou material consisting of assembling in spaced relation upon a fiat surface a pair of relatively thick spaced apart sets of sheets of fibrous material impregnated with a synthetic resin composition, positioning a sheet of fibrous material impregnated with a flexible synthetic resin composition to extend over both of said setsof sheets to form with them cover sections and over the space therebetween to form the flexible back section of the cover, inserting a core of predetermined dimensions into the space between the cover sections to build up the back section to the ultimate thickness of the cover sections and finally subjecting the assembled materials to heat and pressure in a press having flat platens, said synthetic resin compositions being adapted upon the application of said heat and pressure to bind the parts of said cover sections into integral laminates.

2. A method of making book covers and the like of fibrous material consisting of assembling in spaced relation upon a flat surface a pair of relatively thick spaced apart sets of sheets of fibrous material impregnated with a thermosetting synthetic resin composition, positioning a sheet of fibrous material impregnated with a flexible thermosetting synthetic resin composition to extend over both of said sets of sheets to form with them cover sections and over the space therebetween to form the flexible back section of the cover, inserting a core of predetermined dimensions into the space between the coversections to build up the back section to the ultimate thickness of the cover sections and finally subjecting the assembled materials to heat and pressure in a press having flat platens, said thermosetting synthetic resin compositions being adapted upon the application of said heat and pressure to bind the parts of said cover sections into integral laminates.

3. A method of making book covers, and the like of fibrous material consisting of assembling in spaced relation upon a flat surface a pair of relatively thick spaced apart sets of sheets of fibrous material impregnated with a urea-formaldehyde type resin composition, positioning a sheet of fibrous material impregnated with a flexible urea-formaldehyde type resin composition to extend over both of said sets of sheets to form with them cover sections and over the space therebetween to form the flexible back section of the cover, inserting a core of predetermined dimensions into the space between the cover sections to build up the back section to the ultimate thickness of the cover sections and finally subjecting the assembled materials to heat and pressure in a press having flat platens, said urea-formaldehyde resin compositions being adapted upon the application of said heat and pressure to bind the parts of said cover sections into integral laminates.

4. Book covers and the like comprising a pair of relatively thick spaced apart sets of sheets of fibrous material impregnated with a synthetic resin composition and a larger sheet of fibrous material impregnated with a flexible synthetic resin composition, said larger sheet extending over the outer surfaces of said sets and being laminated therewith to form a pair of integral cover sections bound together by the synthetic resin composition and said larger sheet also extending between said sets and providing a. flexible back section.

5. Book covers and the like comprising a pair of relatively thick spaced apart sets of sheets of fibrous material impregnated with a synthetic resin composition, a larger sheet of fibrous material impregnated with a flexible synthetic resin composition and a relatively narrow strip of strong fibrous material, said relatively narrow strip having its edges interleaved with the adjacent edges of said sets of sheets and said larger sheet extending over the outer surfaces of said sets and being laminated with said sets and the edges of said relativelynarrow strip to form a pair of integral cover sections bound together by the synthetic resin composition and said larger sheet together with said relatively narrow strip also extending between said sets and providing a strong flexible back section.

6. Book covers and the like comprising a pair of relatively thick spaced apart sets of sheets of absorbent paper impregnated with a synthetic resin composition and a larger sheet of absorbent material impregnated with a flexible synthetic resin composition, said larger sheet extending over the outer surfaces of said sets and being laminated therewith to form a pair of integral cover sections bound together by the synthetic resin composition and said larger sheet also extending between said sets and providing a flexible back section.

7. Book covers and the like comprising a pair of relatively thick spaced apart sets of sheets of heavy kraft paper impregnated with a synthetic resin composition and a largersheet of heavy kraft paper impregnated with a flexible synthetic resin composition, said larger sheet extending over the outer surfaces of said sets and being laminated therewith to form a pair of integral cover sections bound together by the synthetic resin composition and said larger sheet also extending between said sets and providing a, flexible back section.

8. Book covers and the like comprising a pair of relatively thick spaced apart sets of sheets of fibrous material impregnated with a thermosetting synthetic resin composition and a larger sheet of fibrous material impregnated with a flexible thermosetting synthetic resin composition, said larger sheet extending over the outer surfaces of said sets and being laminated therewith to form a pair of integral cover sections bound together by the thermosetting synthetic resin composition and said larger sheet also extending between said sets and providing a flexible back section.

9. Book covers and. the like comprising a pair of relatively thick spaced apart sets of sheets of fibrous material impregnated with a urea-formaldehyde 'type resin composition and a larger sheet of fibrous material impregnated with a flexible urea-formaldehyde type resin composition, said larger sheet extending over the outer surfaces of said sets and being laminated therewith to form a pair of integral cover sections bound together by the urea-formaldehyde type resin composition and said larger sheet also extending between said sets and providing a flexible back section.

10. Book covers and the like comprising a pair of relatively thick spaced apart sets of sheets of fibrous material impregnated with a urea-formaldehyde resin composition and a larger sheet of fibrous material impregnated with a flexible alkyd resin modified urea-formaldehyde type resin composition, said larger sheet extending over the outer surfaces of said sets and being laminated therewith to form a pair of integral cover sections bound together by the synthetic resin composition and said larger sheet also extending between said sets and providing a flexible back section.

11. Book covers and the like comprising a pair of relatively thick spaced apart sets of sheets of absorbent paper impregnated with a urea-formaldehyde type resin oomposition and a larger sheet of absorbent paper impregnated with a flexible urea-formaldehyde type resin composition, said larger sheet extending over the outer surfaces of said sets and being laminated therewith to form a pair of integral cover sections bound together by the urea-formaldehyde type resin composition and said larger sheet also extending between said sets and providing a flexible back section.

12'. Book covers and the like comprising a pair of relatively thick spaced apart sets of sheets of absorbent paper impregnated with a urea-formaldehyde type resin composition and a larger sheet of absorbent paper impregnated with a flexible alkyd resin modified urea-formaldehyde type resin composition, said larger sheet extending over the outer surfaces of said sets and being laminated therewith to form a pair of integral cover sections bound together by the synthetic resin composition and said larger sheet also extending between said sets and providing a flexible back section.

13. Book covers and the like comprising a pair 'of relatively thick spaced apart sets ofsheets of heavy kraft paper impregnated with a. ureaformaldehyde type resin composition and a larger sheet of heavy krait paper impregnated with a flexible urea-formaldehyde type resin composition, said larger sheet extending over the outer surfaces of said sets and being laminated therewith to form a pair of integral cover sections bound together by the urea-formaldehyde type I tending between said sets and providing a flexible back section.

15. A method of making book covers and the like of fibrous material consisting of assembling in spaced relation a pair of relatively thick spaced apart sets of sheets of fibrous material impregnated with a synthetic resin composition, positioning a sheet of fibrous material impregnated with a flexible synthetic resin composition to extend over both of said sets of sheets to form with them cover sections and over the space therebetween to form the flexible back section of the cover, temporarily building up the back section to approximately the final thickness of the cover sections and finally subjecting the assembled materials to heat and pressure between fiat platens, said synthetic resin compositions being adapted upon the application of said heat and pressure to bind the parts of said cover sections into integral laminates.

RICHMOND J. ROBERTS. 

